BrentAllen

Our cut-off is the Tuesday night meeting before the campout that weekend. We handle sign-ups through our SOAR web page, so everyone can see who has signed up. No more wondering if so and so is going, or finding out a Scout told another leader he was attending, but the message didn't get relayed to everyone. Menus are planned and tenting is arranged. Transportation is arranged. The web page allows us to set the date of closing registration, and that date is advertised with the event. If they aren't on the list when it closes registration, they don't go.

I still like Green Bar Bill's definition of active: "The real price of membership in this Troop will be unfailing regular attendance at its meetings and outings, and steady progress in all the things that make a Scout "Prepared." If we put our own time into the activities of this Troop, we shall certainly expect you to do your part with equal faithfulness." Being that a Scout is Courteous, we expect Scouts to contact their PL and let them know if they are going to miss a meeting or campout. Instead of a % of attendance, I'm thinking about putting in writing our definition of active

Sure, Beavah - the reason I went to Georgia Tech is because I'm anti-science. No, I'm just anti-junk science and anti-science by consensus. I've read the science the global warmers have built their case on, and I don't buy it. Mann's hockey stick is based on such a small set of data, it is ridiculous. The science has "been settled" for how long now? Yet, Hansen recently admitted the models were overstating the warming, and they can't even explain the aerosol and cloud links. So many variables, but they've got it all figured out with just one...until some other variable raises its ugly he

Nah, that may have been the way science was 20 years ago, or maybe it still is in other areas other than climate, but not today. Journalist will tell you they aren't biased in their reporting, even though they are overwhelmingly Democrats. Sorry, but that just isn't the case. Same with scientist, or at least those in the field of climate science. Here's another one for you - science is now about ethics, not real science. Pennsylvania State Universitys Professor Donald A. Brown argues that ethics requires acknowledging the links between tornadoes and climate change, despite scientific

Ah, da brilliant and oft repeated attack on a Wikipedia source, even though you can't dispute it - yep, that takes a lot of work. No lazy person would ever do such a thing, would they? The directors of Fannie and Freddie (Democrats at the time) stood to make a fortune in bonuses (which they did), so they pushed the idiotic idea that every American should own a home - whether they could afford it or not. Barney Frank was a big supporter of the idea. Yep, a lot of greedy people saw a way to make money off the deal, but they couldn't do it unless the buyers signed on the dotted line. Yo

Beavah, What, exactly, do you think those CDOs were made up of, what were the securities that started defaulting that caused the problem to begin with? Sub-prime mortgages! If those mortgages hadn't gone bad, the CDOs would have played out, with everyone getting paid. Here is a good explanation of CDOs and tranches (Wikipedia): One analogy is to think of the cash flow from the CDOs portfolio of securities (say mortgage payments from mortgage-backed bonds) as water flowing into the cups of the investors in the senior tranches first, then junior tranches, then equity tranches. If a la

Sorry, browser hung up for a double post.(This message has been edited by BrentAllen)

Beavah writes: "Yah, science doesn't have politics, but politics uses science." Oh, really? Gee, who said the following? "Emphasis on extreme scenarios may have been appropriate at one time, when the public and decision-makers were relatively unaware of the global warming issue, and energy sources such as synfuels, shale oil and tar sands were receiving strong consideration. Now, however, the need is for demonstrably objective climate forcing scenarios consistent with what is realistic under current conditions." That would be the liberal James Hansen, of NASA's Goddard Institut

skeptic, It sounds like we agree on many on the items we are discussing. The utility companies are regulated already. Any cost increase they have will get passed along to the consumers - us. Cost increases due to regulation will not "cut into their profits and the pay of the upper tier management." They will still make the same profits and upper tier management will still get their big salaries.

skeptic - I live in Atlanta, I know about pollution. I do wonder about how clean the air really needs to be. Are you willing to get rid of your car so the air will be 1/1,000,000,000 cleaner? As for kids with more lung issues - is the cause really air pollution? I'm 48 and I often have discussions with my peers about how many kids now have peanut allergies. None of us can remember anyone having them when we were kids. Did the infants with peanut allergies just not survive 50 years ago? Is the same true for infants that had lungs issues 50 years ago vs. those of today? Or could it b

Our Troop has been asked to provide a Color Guard for the opening ceremony for this event. Several of our Scouts will also be participating in the climb. From the Dunwoody Crier: Stair Climb Honoring 9/11 Fallen. If youre wondering how youre going to get your exercise on September 10 or how you might recognize the 10th annivesary of the tragedies of 9/11, consider this: The Manhattan Condominiums at Perimeter Way is inviting all to participate in its 26-story memorial stair climb. Open to the public, the climb is coordinated to honor the 343 New York firefighters and 60 police off

I agree with Barry about modeling behavior. I hope that I am being a good role model for my Scouts as both a father and husband. When does that take place? At COHs when my wife attends, when Scouts come to my house to work on merit badges, and even last night at our high school football game, where I usually see 8 - 10 of our Scouts. And no, I don't want the homosexual lifestyle modeled as normal and acceptable to my son, since I view this as sinful.

Thanks, scoutingagain - I hadn't had my daily fear-mongering from a liberal yet, and it is already past noon. I was getting worried! :-)

I think there is a big difference between "wild" and "adventure." You don't need to have a wild place to have an adventure. I prefer adventures in wild places, but I've had great adventures in areas that were pretty well populated. One of the reasons we sought out MOHAB was that it was in a wild, uninhabited, undeveloped area - that appealed to us. I've heard many Scouters commenting (not necessarily complaining)about how many people they saw at both Philmont and Norther Tier, and my guess is they were expecting to see less. I think they had a great adventure, it's just they had more

Calico, It would appear that the Commander In Chief disagrees with you about regulation and job creation. Obama halts controversial EPA regulation Excerpt: Obama overruled the Environmental Protection Agency and the unanimous opinion of its independent panel of scientific advisers and directed administrator Lisa Jackson to withdraw the proposed regulation to reduce concentrations of ground-level ozone, smog's main ingredient. The decision rests in part on reducing regulatory burdens and uncertainty for businesses at a time of rampant uncertainty about an unsteady economy.

Try this link for the MOHAB photo album: http://www.kodakgallery.com/gallery/sharing/shareRedirectSwitchBoard.jsp?token=3021511920103%3A1812235169 Please let me know if it doesn't work. I suggest viewing at full screen.

If you take a full Crew of 12 to MOHAB, cost was $550 per person this year. They bill it as a Crew for $6,600. If you take fewer than 12, the cost will obviously be higher per person. Go to http://www.montanahighadventurebase.com/ for more info. From Atlanta, our airfare was $525 with two stops heading out, and one on the return. We arrived late on Tuesday night (11:30 PM local). The Council let us spend two nights in the basement of their office, which was very nice - carpeted with a little kitchen area. Their office was about 5 miles from the airport. Great Falls is not that big

You want wilderness and adventure? Go to MOHAB - Montana High Adventure Base. On a week-long trek in the Bob Marshall Wilderness, we saw 2 other hikers, going the opposite direction, and 3 bears. We made 72 stream crossings - everything from step-over's to setting up rope for crossing. We made steep, 1,700 feet climbs up to passes, hiked in and slid down areas covered with snow, and bushwacked miles to pick up a mapped trail. This is one of the wildest areas you will find in the continental US. If you don't believe me, look at the August, 2011 issue of Backpacker magazine. Index d

shortrigdge, Please give me the scientific, factual cure for the common cold. My daughter has one, and she'd like the remedy.

moosetracker: "When ministers are wrong, no one can call them on it, except for your opening your eyes and ears and listening to others, and making your own decisions. Rather then just following.." As a Christian, I believe God speaks to us through the Bible, through the church, through prayer and through circumstance. If a minister is advocating something that goes against the Bible, the elders of the church should recognize this and confront him. If your "inner voice" is telling you something that goes against the Bible and/or the beliefs of your church, you should question it. The g

I don't know a whole lot about Perry, but he does have one advantage - he is a governor and not a representative or senator. And governors beat reps and senators in presidential elections. As for the Republican VP - it will be Rubio.

Yep, Calico, you are correct. This is what paying 99 weeks of unemployment payments gets you. We have plenty of jobs available, but Americans have become too soft. Given the choice between a hard, sweaty job in the heat and a stroll to the mailbox to pick up a check, Americans are going to choose the latter. All paid for with money borrowed from the Chinese, as we go deeper and deeper into debt. Let's keep doing what we are doing, right? Bring in more illegal immigrants to do the jobs Americans are too soft to do, and keep paying more and more unemployment. It sure seems to be working s

Wow, packsaddle! You found a hit piece on conservatives in the Opinion section of the NYT! Who woulda thunkit?!?! I guess that might be interesting... to at least some one.

We have a spending problem, not a revenue problem. In 2007 the government took in $2.568 trillion in revenues and spent $2.728 trillion, for a deficit of $160 billion. In 2011, according to Congressional Budget Office estimates, the government will take in $2.230 trillion and spend $3.629 trillion, for a deficit of $1.399 trillion. That's an increase of $901 billion in spending and a decrease of $338 billion in revenue. Put them together, you go from a $160 billion deficit to a $1.399 trillion deficit. Of the $901 billion in new spending, $343 billion is associated with the down

Article out today... Spending Cuts Preferred Over Tax Increases By Economists: Survey NEW YORK -- The majority of economists surveyed by the National Association for Business Economics believe that the federal deficit should be reduced only or primarily through spending cuts. The survey out Monday found that 56 percent of the NABE members surveyed felt that way, while 37 percent said they favor equal parts spending cuts and tax increases. The remaining 7 percent believe it should be done only or mostly through tax increases. As for how to reduce the deficit, nearly 40 perce